351 

 GENERAL NOTES. 



. THE CHERRY-TREE TORTRIX. 



This common and widespread species, originally described by Fitch 

 )' in 1856 as Lozotwnia eeraslvorana, and now placed in the genus Oacoe- 

 ' cia, is found all over the United States east of the Rocky Mountains 

 and possesses the habit of feeding gregariously in the larval state, all 

 of the caterpillars hatching from one lot of eggs and feeding in a com- 

 -, munity inclosing the leaves on the end of a branch in a silken web, 

 ■ which is extended to include more food from time to time. The black- 

 ish excrement is deposited in a large mass in the center of the web, 

 and the larvjc when full-grown transform within this mass. When about 

 to emerge the pupte work their way partially out in order that the moths 

 may easily escape. The caterpillars feed normally upon wild and culti- 

 vated cherry, but what is in all probability the same species has been 

 found by Dr. Packard upon Betnla populifoUa and by Dr. Kellicott 

 upon ornamental birches in Columbus, Ohio. We have recently 

 received from Dr. F. W. Russell, of Wincheuden, Mass., an interesting 

 photograph of a series of webs of this insect which was extremely 

 abundant in his vicinity during the summer of 1890. His accompany- 

 ' ing statement is so interesting that we publish it with a reproduction 

 of the photograph (see Plate iv). 



t I send you herewith some photographs of huge tents made by the larva? of Tortrix 

 cerasitorana V., during the season of 1890. 



About fifteen years ago I found a single nest of this species and from it raised a 

 number of the moths, one striking variety, two of ichneumons, and a rather hand- 

 some gray fly. 



Year by year the number of these nests has increased, but I was hardly prepared 

 for the wonderful increase of 1890. For a distance of 1,500 to 2,000 feet along one 

 side ot a country road there were thousauds of these nests. I counted over 3,000 at 

 I one time. Many of them were over six feet high. I placed one of my attendants, 

 a tall young fellow of over six feet, among them, and had their picture taken. The 

 webs often spread over the smaller herbage at the base of the choke cherry bushes, 

 then over the grass, and in great sheets out over the gravel, even to the wheel tracks, 

 where they were torn to pieces by the passing teams. When riding by in the moon- 

 light they presented a peculiarly weird appearance. They extended even to maple, 

 wild cherry, and ash trees, though only rarely and where these trees happened to 

 stand among their more normal food. 1 do not know that the caterpillars actually 

 eat of these leaves. 



I found quite a number of small camps in other localities about town where I had 

 not previously seen them. 



The next year, 1891, they were not common at all, even in the locality where they 

 had been so excessively abundant in 1890, but even two years later great masses of 

 leaves, frass, and web remained to disfigure the bushes. 



AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO INSECT EMBRYOLOGY. 



Mr. William Morton Wheeler's inaugural dissertation for the degree 

 of doctor of philosophy, as presented to the faculty of Clark University, 

 I the xJresent spring, has been published in the Journal of Morj^hology 



